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Sitemap checker: is your XML sitemap working?
A free sitemap checker. AfterLaunch finds your XML sitemap, checks it is valid, counts its pages, checks robots.txt names it and tests a sample of what it lists.
Free, no signupNo sitemap yet? The sitemap generator writes one.
What the sitemap checker reads
It finds your XML sitemap the way a crawler does: the Sitemap lines in robots.txt first, then /sitemap.xml and /sitemap_index.xml.
It checks the file is valid XML, that it is a urlset or a sitemap index, and that one file stays under the 50,000 addresses the sitemap protocol allows. For an index, it reads up to five of the sitemaps it names.
It tests ten of the listed addresses, spread through the file, and reports any that redirect or are not there. It also lists public pages your home page links to that the sitemap leaves out.
How to fix what it finds
A sitemap should list the final address of every page you want found: no redirects, no pages that answer 404, and every address on your own host in https.
Name the sitemap in robots.txt with a Sitemap line, so every crawler finds it without guessing.
No sitemap at all? The free sitemap generator follows the links on your site and writes one to download.
Common questions
Why only ten addresses?
Ten, spread from the first to the last, are enough to show whether the file has gone stale, and the check stays quick and light on your server.
Do I need lastmod dates?
No. Google uses lastmod when it is consistently accurate, and leaving it out is allowed. The check reports how many entries carry one.
Is it safe to run on any site?
Yes. It reads robots.txt, the sitemap and a sample of its pages with plain requests, and changes nothing.
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